Heater



Feb. 20, 1962 J. KoHoRsT 3,021,833

HEATER Filed Oct. 20, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JZ arm X.' M

Feb. 20, 1962 J. KOHORST 3,021,833

HEATER Filed oct. 2o, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VEN TOR JOSEPH KOHOAPST gym :gw

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My invention relates to a liquid fuel burning assembly adaptable for use as a tank heater, a space heater, or a submersible burner and is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 591,657, filed lune 15, 1956, now abandoned.

One of the important objects contemplated herein is the provision of an improved heater that has novel combustion means which is more eilicient and more economical than previous heaters of the same class so that deposits from combustion are reduced to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide a heater of the above class that requires no wick or other components which must be continuously serviced or replaced. A further object is to provide an improved heater that is capable of continuous operation for long periods of time without danger of improper operation.

A still further object inhering herein is the provision of a heater as indicated that is' capable of eiiiciently burning inexpensive low grade fuel oil including used crank case oil without producing any noxious smoke because of improved combustion and draft arrangements.

Yet another object is to provide a generally improved heater of the above kind that is economical to manufacture, durable in construction and capable of efiicient operation with a minimum of service.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside in the details of construction and correlation of the various parts and will be apparent as the description proceeds.

This invention consists of novel parts and combination of parts to be hereinafter described whereby the objects set forth are attained, as pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of my new heater installation,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the combustion chamber assembly of my heater with portions cut away to more specifically illustrate the construction thereof,

FIGS. 4 and 5 are like cross sectional views each taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3 but showing different positions of adjustment for draft control in the combustion assembly, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the needle valve used with this heater.

Referring to the -drawings the illustrated heater comprises a rectangular closed housing 10 of horizontally elongated formation having parallel, upstanding longitudinal side walls 12, end walls 14, a top wall 16, and a bottom 18. In the top wall 16 adjacent one end of housing 10 there is formed an opening 20 and securedv at its lower end to the top wall 16 in communication with opening 2@ and extending upwardly therefrom is' an exhaust stack or flue pipe 22 provided with a suitable damper means 23. Intermediate opposite ends 14 of housing 10 another opening 24 is formed in the top wall 16 and secured to such top wall around opening 24 is the outwardly flanged lower end 26 of an upstanding open top cylinder 28. A fuel tank 30 of any desired shape and size is supported on a pair of spaced rigid strap arms 32 extending between and secured at respective opposite ends to stack 22 and cylinder 23 as shown in FIG. 1. Tank 3i) is provided with the usual filler plug 34 and fuel 36 used may be any of the various grades of fuel oil includ- 3,621,333 Patented Feb.. 20, 1952 will later appear. A third opening 38 is formed in the top wall 16 at that end of housing 10 remote from stack 22 and secured to wall 16 in communication with opening 38 is the upstanding draft control air inlet tube or stack 4t). The upper end of stack 46 is outwardly anged as at 42 to support an air intake regulating plate 44 pivotally attached thereto by a bolt 46 as shown in FIG. l. Plate 44 can be swung to selected positions horizontally across the top of stack 4i) to permit more or less outside air to pass downwardly through such stack into and through housing 10 and out of stack 22 as will later be described in more detail. It will also be noted (FlGS. 1 and 2) that stack 22 is taller than both cylinder 28 and stack 40 and stack 40 is taller than cylinder 28 for purposes of draft control as will become apparent.

With reference now to FIGS. 3-5 the combustion chamber assembly or burner unit indicated generally by the numeral 48 in FIG. 3 is removably insertable into cylinder 2S and housing 1t) and is constructed and operates as follows. A disc shaped plate or base 50 is supported on a plurality of concentrically spaced relatively short depending legs S2 and on its upper surface is provided with the annular upstanding concentrically disposed burner ring or wall 54. This ring has a slightly smaller diameter than plate 50 and is provided with a plurality of holes 56 in spaced relationship throughout its entire circumference. Spaced above the base plate 56 and above the burner ring 54 is the disc shaped top plate 5S that is attached to plate Sil by the regularly spaced vertical rods or posts 60 extending between and Secured to said plates about the respective circumferences thereof so that the burner ring 54 is inter-mediate the lower ends ing kerosene and also including used crank case oil as of such post and the axis of base 5t). Top plate 58 is provided with a plurality of spaced air intake holes 62 for the purpose of providing better combusiton and spreading the flame as will later appear. Extending between the base plate 50 and the top plate 58 and attached thereto is the concentrically disposed air and fuel intake tube or cylinder 64 which is of lesser diameter than the burner ring 54 so as to provide on the upper surface of plate Si) a fire trough 66. The lower end of tube 64 is provided throughout its circumference with regularly spaced air and fuel outlet vents or notches 68 in communication with trough 66 and the upper end of tube 64 registers with an axial opening 7G in plate 58.

Secured to the perimeter of the top plate 58 and extending upwardly therefrom is the annular tubular Wall member 72 provided to serve as a guide means against the inner wall of cylinder 28 when lowering assembly 43 into such cylinder and in removing it therefrom. Also for this purpose a pair of diametrically opposed hanger rods '74 are suitably secured to wall 72 so as to extend upwardly therefrom where they each terminate in a hook 76 for the purpose of engaging the top edge of cylinder 2S as shown in FIGS. l and 2. Such rods 74 serve also as handles for manually lifting assembly 48 in an obvious manner. v A fuel and air regulating tube 78 is snugly mounted within but freely rotatable relative to the air and fuel intake tube 64. This tube 7S projects upwardly through opening 70 in plate 58 at tis upper end, and its lower end which rests on the base plate 50 is provided throughout its circumference with regularly spaced air and fuel outlet vents or notches 80 corresponding to the similar notches 68 in tube 64. Thus by rotation of tube 78 relative to tube 64, notches Sil and 64l can be placed in vary ing positions of registration to selectively regulate the size of the airvand fuel passageway from the inside of tube 73 to the tire trough 66. To prevent over adjustment relative to notches y80 and 64, rotation of tube 78 is controlled by placing a pair of spaced stops 82 (FIG. 3) on the top plate 58 and providing a lifting rod 84 bent at its assises lower end 86 for attachment to the upper outer surface of such tube so as to extend therefrom first intermediate stops 82 and then upwardly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 where it terminates in the handle member 38. Rod end S6 is movable only within the limits defined by stops S2 and th1 s the rotation of tube 78 is correspondingly limited. In the lower end of tube 78 there are xedly mounted superimposed plates 90, 92 and 94. Plates 90 and 94 are preferably of steel and coniined between them is plate 92 that is preferably of pressed asbestos or similar heat insulative, fireproof material. These plates serve as a drip plate for catching fuel and the purpose of the asbestos layer is to keep the upper plate 90 relatively cool so that fuel Will not gasify in tube 78.

Fuel 36 is fed to assembly 48 by gravity through a conduit 96 extending from tank 30 to a needle valve housing 98 (FIG. 6) disposed within cylinder 28 in axial alignment with and spaced above tube 78. Housing 98 has the upper and lower plugs 190 and l02 spaced apart to provide a chamber 104 in communication with conduit 96. A valve stern 106 threadably disposed through plug ll has a lower conical end 108 disposed in chamber 104 and designed to seat in the ared upper end 110 of bore 112 in plug 102. The upper end of rod 106 carries a knob 114 for manual manipulation.

Thus constructed and arranged, this heater will operate in the following manner. Assembly 48 (FIG. 3) is inserted into cylinder 28 as described so that bottom plate 50 is disposed within housing 1G and is elevated slightly from bottom 18 by the short legs 52 as shown in FIG. 2. Assembly 48 will extend through opening 24 in housing top 16 and top plate 5S of assembly 48 is in the lower portion of cylinder 28 above the plane of top 16. Fuel 36 from tank 30 is permit-ted to drip by gravity through the needle valve means shown in FIG. 6 and the rate of drip is controlled by rotation of stem 106m a well known manner. With bore 112 of the needle valve concentrically positioned over tube '7-8, the fuel drips onto the drip plate 90 at the bottom of such tube where it passes out of the notches 80 therein and the notches 68 in tube 64 into the tire trough 66. The fuel in trough 66 is easily initially ignited by inserting an ignited wick of any suitable type at the end of a long handle down into the bottom of tube 78 and once this is done the intensity of the fire is controlled by regulation of the needle valve.

Cylinder 28 intermediate stacks 22 and 40 is the only source of air and fuel intake for purposes of combustion in the fire trough 66 and the arrangement of holes 62 in the top plate 58 and the regulation of the opening in vents or notches 80 and 68 at the bottom of tubes 78 and 64 serve to spread the flame and feed the air and fuel evenly into trough 66 where combustion takes place. In th arrangement, the use of the asbestos plate 92 in keeping the drop plate 90 relatively cool as described, prevents the fuel from gasifying in tube 78 so that it flows into the fire trough 66 before igniting. Combustion once started cannot be flooded out since any surplus fuel flowing into trough 66 will overflow through holes 56 in the burner ring 54. The products of combustion are effectively carried out through the dampered stack 22 by the cooperation of air ow down through the dampered stack 40 into housing 10, through the housing 10, around the bottom of assembly 48 and out of stack 22. In actual tests this burner has successfully burned the various types of fuel previously described cleanly, evenly and with a maximum output of heat in relation to the fuel consumed. In addition the combustion has been so complete as to substantially eliminate carbon, soot and smoke. It will be understood that this heater operates on a down draft principle with air for combustion entering through cylinder 28. Because of the height di'erence between stack 22 and cylinder 28, this heater will function without stack 40 but not in the eflicient manner as can be obtained when stack 40 is used. Without stack 40, the discharge from stack 22 will be black only smoke whereas with stack 40,

the discharge from stack 22 is, for all practical purposes, undiscernible.

It is submitted that the invention shown and described is aptly suited to achieve the purposes intended and is characterized by a combination of highly useful and mutually cooperating elements that combine their respective and proportionate functions in accomplishing the objects sought to be obtained.

It will be understood that the phraseology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not for limitation and that modifications and changes inthe construction and arrangement of this invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof. it ,is thus intended to cover by the claims, any modified forms of structure or mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

l. In a heater, a horizontally elongated closed housing having horizontal top and bottom walls, a dampered air exhaust stack on and rising from said top wall around an opening therein at one end of said housing and a dampered outside air intake tube on and rising from said top wall around an opening therein at the other end of the housing to provide air circulation through said housing, said intake tube being shorter than said exhaust stack, said housing top wall having a third opening therein disposed intermediate and spaced from said exhaust stack and said air intake tube, an upstanding open ended burner cylinder secured to said top wall around said third opening, said cylinder being shorter than said intake tube, a burner assembly in the interior of said housing spaced below said top wall so as to register with said third opening and said burner cylinder, means for providing said burner assembly with air communication for combustion with said third opening, fuel supply means to said burner assembly through said third opening, and means in said burner assembly for discharging the products of combustion into the path of air Ilow within said housing.

2. A heater construction including an elongated horizontally disposed housing, an upstanding cylinder on said housing intermediate the ends thereof and communicating with the interior thereof, a burner assembly disposed within said cylinder and having a combustion chamber extending into said housing, said combustion chamber being provided with an outlet port, means providing said combustion chamber with air communication for combustion through said cylinder, fuel supply means to said combustion chamber through said cylinder, means in said combustion chamber for discharging the products of combustion into the interior of said housing, a dampered air outlet stack on said housing in communication with the interior thereof at one side of said cylinder and extending vertically higher than said cylinder, and a dampered air inlet stack on said housing in communication with the interior thereof at the opposite side of said cylinder and said inlet stack being vertically higher than said cylinder but shorter than said outlet stack whereby air circulation is provided through said inlet stack to and through said housing around the combustion chamber of said burner assembly to said outlet stack.

3. A heater, comprising a horizontally elongated closed housing having vertically spaced horizontal top and bottom walls, spaced vertical stacks rising from said housing and each in communication with the interior thereof, one of said stacks being shorter than the other, a burner assembly within said housing, air supply means intermediate said stacks into said housing and burner assembly for purposes of combustion, and vent means in said burner assembly within said housing having intake down draft communication with said shorter stack and exhaust draft communication with said other stack.

4. A heater, comprising a horizontally elongated closed housing having vertically spaced horizontal top and bottom walls, spaced vertical stacks rising from said housing and each in communication with the interior thereof, one of said stacks being shorter than the other, a vertical cylinder rising from said housing intermediate said stacks and in communication with the interior thereof, said cylinder being shorter than both of said stacks, a burner assembly within said housing spaced below said top wall and having down draft intake communication with said cylinder, said burner assembly having exhaust draft communication within the interior of said housing, and the draft communication between said shorter stack through said housing to said taller stack carrying away the products of combustion from said burner assembly.

5. A heater, comprising a horizontally elongated closed housing having vertically spaced horizontal top and bottom walls, spaced vertical stacks rising from said housing and each in communication with the interior thereof, one of said stacks being shorter than the other, a vertical cylinder rising from said housing intermediate said stacks and in communication with the interior thereof, said cylinder being shorter than both of said stacks, a burner assembly disposed within said cylinder and having a combustion chamber` extending into said housing so as to be spaced below said top wall, said combustion chamber having draft outlets Within the interior of said housing, said burner assembly receiving down draft air for combustion through said cylinder, and the draft communication between said shorter stack through said housing to said taller stack carrying away the products of combustion from said burner assembly.

6. A heater as defined in claim 4 including damper control means in said stacks.

7. In a heater, a closed housing, means providing air flow into said housing at one end, through said housing and out of the opposite end, a burner assembly in said housing intermediate the ends thereof, said burner assembly comprising a pair of dise shaped plates, means securing the same in vertically spaced concentric relationship to form a top plate and base plate respectively, said top plate being above the top of said closed housing and said base plate being within said housing, a tubular member 4 connecting said plates in concentric relationship thereto and being diametrically smaller than the same, said tubular member in registration with an axial opening in said top plate, an upstanding apertured burner ring concentrically disposed on said base plate intermediate the perimeter thereof and the lower end of said tubular member to form a tire trough surrounding the lower end of said tubular member, the lower end of said tubular member having an opening in communication with said fire trough, said top plate having an opening in communication with said fire trough, a regulating tube rotatably disposed in said tubular means, means on said regulating tube to selectively vary the effective size of the opening in the lower end of said tubular member, a drip plate in the lower end of said regulating tube, and means to drip liquid fuel onto said drip plate; said fuel flowing from said drip plate into said tire trough for purposes of combustion, means intermediate the ends of said housing providing a down draft air supply to said burner assembly for purposes of combustion, and vent means in said burner assembly within said housing for discharging the products of combustion into said air flow.

8. A heater, comprising a horizontally elongated closed housing having vertically spaced horizontal top and bottom walls, spaced vertical stacks rising from said housing and each in communication with the interior thereof, a vertical cylinder rising from said housing intermediate said stacks and in communication with the interior thereof, a burner assembly disposed within said cylinder and having a. combustion chamber extending into said housing so as to be spaced below said top wall, said combustion chamber having draft outlets within the interior of said housing, said burner assembly receiving down draft air for combustion through said cylinder, and the draft communication between said stacks through said housing carrying away the products of combustion from said burner assembly.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 485,892 Shivlar Nov. 8, 1892 658,963 Schifferle Oct. v2, 1900. 960,563 Latil June 7, 1910 1,101,354 Tebo June 23, 1914 2,193,085 Beetschen r Mar. l2, 1940 

